Quick-coupling and quick-release safety connector for piping

ABSTRACT

A connector for piping is described of the type comprising two tubular fitting parts ( 1, 2 ) and quick-coupling and quick release means ( 15 ) having a plurality of locking segments ( 16 ) circumferentially distributed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said fitting parts ( 1, 2 ) and housed in radial slots ( 17 ) of an axial projecting portion ( 6 ) of a first fitting part ( 2 ) that, during the coupling stage, is superimposable to a corresponding projecting axial portion ( 5 ) of the second fitting part ( 1 ). A revolving ring ( 18 ) can be controlled to rotate in order to work on said locking segments ( 16 ) so as to push them into at least one radial seat ( 33 ) of said projecting portion ( 5 ) of the second part of joint ( 1 ) or to house them in its own radial seat ( 34 ), respectively for the coupling and the uncoupling of said fitting parts ( 1, 2 ). Two independent by operable hydraulic cylinders ( 19 ) are arranged substantially at 180° from each other in the rotation plane of the revolving ring ( 18 ) and they react, each one, between a first lever ( 22 ) fastened to the first fitting part ( 2 ) and a second lever ( 23 ) fastened to the revolving ring ( 18 ). Said first lever ( 22 ) is made up of a radially more external part ( 24 ) and of a radially more internal part ( 25 ) that are connected with each other by an articulation ( 26 ) which is modifiable in order to be able to assume a first operating condition for the complete mutual locking of the two parts ( 24, 25 ) of the first lever ( 22 ) and a second operating condition of consent to the rotation of the radially more external part ( 24 ) of the first lever ( 22 ) in direction of approach to the second lever ( 23 ).

The present invention concerns a quick-coupling and quick-release safetyconnector for piping.

There are many occasions in which it is demanded to provide the quickcoupling of two pipes, as also their equally quick separation. This isthe case, for example, of piping used for the transfer of fluid oilproducts in difficult environment conditions, sometimes dangerous, as inopen sea or from sea to earth and vice-versa.

To this purpose there are currently known quick-coupling andquick-release connector devices, that are capable to couple and touncouple to each other two pipes in a safe and quick way.

One of these is described in EP-A-0153773 and comprises two tubularfitting parts that are fastenable to respective pipes to be joined andquick-coupling and quick release means for said fitting parts. The quickcoupling and quick release means comprise a plurality of lockingsegments that are circumferentially distributed in a plane perpendicularto the axis of said fitting parts and housed in a radially movable wayin respective radial slots of a projecting axial portion of a firstfitting part that, during the coupling step, is superimposable to acorresponding projecting axial portion of the second fitting part. Arevolving ring can be controlled to rotate around the projecting portionof the first fitting part in order to work on said locking segments soas to bias them into radial housings of said projecting portion of thesecond fitting part or to house them in their radial housings,respectively for the coupling and the uncoupling of said fitting parts.A hydraulic cylinder reacting between said first fitting part and saidrevolving ring usually provides to the movement of the revolving ring.

This is an extremely safe and quick connector, that assures the couplingand the separation of the two pipes in an optimal way.

The only possible inconvenience can consist in a difficulty inuncoupling theoretically determinable by the missed working of thecylinder for the movement of the revolving ring, for instance because ofa formation of ice after a long period of permanence of the connector inopen sea or as a result of transfer of oil products at very lowtemperature. In such case, in fact, the ring does not rotate and theconnector does not open in order to release the two pipes.

Scope of the present invention is now to provide a quick-coupling andquick-release connector of the aforesaid type, that is capable toguarantee the maximum safety in uncoupling, when required.

According to the invention such scope is attained by using two hydrauliccylinders (or equivalent means) for the movement of the revolving ringwhich are arranged substantially at 180° to each other in the rotationplane of the ring and reacting, each one, between a first lever fastenedto one of the two fitting parts and a second lever fastened to therevolving ring, and by dividing said first lever into a radially moreexternal part and a radially more internal part connected with eachother by an articulation which is modifiable in order to be able toassume two different operating conditions, one for the complete mutuallocking of the two parts of the first lever and the other one for theconsent of the rotation of the radially more external part of the firstlever in the direction of approach to the second lever.

The presence of two cylinders (or other equivalent movement means)instead of one makes possible their use one as a substitute for theother one, so that in case of jamming of one of the two cylinders thecontrol of the other one to carry out the uncoupling operation of theconnector is possible in any case. On the other hand the modifiablearticulation interposed between the two parts of each first leverprevents, when in consent condition, the cylinder from opposing to therotation of the ring and at the same time, when in locking condition, itforces the non controlled cylinder to carry out the same movement of thecontrolled cylinder to go back to the coupling position.

If desired it is also possible to increase the safety of the connectorby making the connection of the two cylinders possible not only to anormal hydraulic control system but also to manual hydraulic pumps thatare capable to intervene when necessary.

The characteristics of the present invention will be made evident fromthe following detailed description of an embodiment thereof that isillustrated as a non limiting example in the enclosed drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a connector according to the invention in couplingcondition, as sectioned along its axis according to the line I-I of FIG.2;

FIG. 2 shows the same connector in transversal section according to theline II-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the connector sectioned as in FIG. 1 in the course of anuncoupling movement;

FIG. 4 shows the connector sectioned as in FIG. 1 at the end of anuncoupling movement;

FIG. 5 shows the connector sectioned as in FIG. 1, ready for a newcoupling movement;

FIG. 6 shows the connector sectioned as in FIG. 1 at the end of thecoupling movement.

The connector shown in the drawings comprises (FIG. 1) a first tubularfitting part 1 and a second tubular fitting part 2, each one made up ofa respective body portion 3, 4 and of a respective projecting axialportion 5, 6. The body portions 3, 4 are destined to the fastening, bymeans of screws 7, 8, to respective pipings 9, 10 to be coupled. Theprojecting portions 5, 6 are in turn insertable one into the other onein order to define a single cylindrical passage 11 for the flow of fluidfrom one piping to the other one. An axially mobile ring 12 is housed inan axial front housing 13 of the projecting portion 6 of the fittingpart 2 and is thrust by a spring 14 toward the facing projecting portion5 of the fitting part 1.

The mutual connection of the two fitting parts 1 and 2, and therefore oftwo pipes 9 and 10, is provided by quick-coupling and quick releasemeans 15 which include (FIG. 2) a plurality of locking segments 16circumferentially distributed in a plane perpendicular to the axis ofthe passage 11 and housed in radially movable way in respective radialslots 17 of the projecting portion 6 of the fitting part 2.

Around the circumferential sequence of locking segments 16, on thefitting part 2 a revolving ring 18 is arranged that can be controlled torotate by one or by the other one of the two independent by operablehydraulic cylinders 19, that are located in diametrically oppositepositions in the rotation plane of the ring 18 and normally incontracted position. Each one of the two cylinders 19 has its two endsrespectively hinged in 20 and 21 in a first lever 22 integral with theprojecting portion 6 of the second fitting part 2 and in a second lever23 integral with the revolving ring 18. The first lever 22 is subdividedinto two parts 24 and 25, the first one radially more external and thesecond one radially more internal, that are connected with each other bya modifiable articulation 26 made up of a hingement pin 27 and by aremovable gudgeon 28 that is insertable in lined up holes 29 and 30 ofthe two parts of lever 24 and 25. The presence of the gudgeon 28determines the mutual locking of the aforesaid parts of lever, whereasthe absence of gudgeon 28 allows the first part 24 of the lever 22 torotate in the sense of approach to the second lever 23(counter-clockwise sense in FIG. 2). A shoulder 39 of the second part 25of the lever 22 prevents instead the first part 24 of the same lever 22to rotate in clockwise sense as regards the second part 25. The twocylinders 19 are provided with mouths 31 and 32 that are normallyconnected with a common hydraulic control system and also connectablewith manual emergency pumps.

The internal wall of the revolving ring 18 co-operates with the externalend of the segments 16 in order to push out the latter ones toward theaxis of the cylindrical passage 11 and into radial seats obtained as acontinuous round recess 33 in the external wall of the projectingportion 5 of the fitting part 1. In the same internal wall of therevolving ring 18, on the other hand, some radial seats 34 (one for eachsegment 16) are obtained that, when the ring 18 is rotated as comparedwith the position in FIG. 2, are capable to house the segments 16 fortheir output from the annular recess 33 of the fitting part 1 (FIGS. 4and 5). Chamfers 35 and 36 of the segments 16 co-operate withcorresponding chamfers 37 and 38 of the seats 33 and 34 (FIG. 3) inorder to determine the radial movements of the segments 16 toward theaxis of the passage 11, as it will be explained hereinafter.

The mode of operation of the connector is illustrated in the drawings iseasily explained.

With the revolving ring 16 in the position of FIG. 2 the segments 16 aremaintained inserted into the round recess 33, therefore the two fittingparts 1 and 2 are maintained coupled to each other for the subsequentfirm mutual coupling of two pipes 9 and 10. In such condition the fluidto be transferred can flow from one piping to other through the commonaxial passage 11. The gudgeons 28 are normally absent.

For the quick-release of the two pipes it is necessary to control theextension of one of the cylinders 19, as for instance the one shown onthe bottom in the drawings. In this way, with the first part 24 of thelever 22 of the aforesaid cylinder in abutment with the shoulder 39 thesame cylinder can control the counter-clockwise rotation of the lever 23and therefore of the ring 18, while the articulation 26 of the lever 22of the other cylinder 19 opens (FIG. 3) in order to prevent that thenon-controlled cylinder hinders the rotation of the ring 18. Thesegments 16 can therefore be forced by the co-operating chamfers 35 and37 to slide radially into the slots 17 in order to exit from the annularrecess 33 and to insert themselves into the radial recess 34 of theprojecting portion 6 of the fitting part 2 (FIG. 4). The two fittingparts 1 and 2 can thus get apart from one another with consequentseparation of the piping 3 and 4.

If for any reason the controlled cylinder were not capable to extend, itwould be possible to operate in the same way on the other cylinder 19,that would carry out the uncoupling movement in the same way asexplained above.

In order to couple again, naturally after having correctly positionedthe projecting portions 5 and 6 of the two fitting parts 1 and 2 oneinto the other one, it is necessary to extend the cylinder 19 previouslynon-controlled so as to determine again the closing of the previouslyopened articulation 26 (FIG. 5) and then to insert the gudgeons 28 intothe two pairs of lined up holes 29 and 30, so as to rigidly connect toeach other the two parts 24 and 25 of the levers 22. The subsequentcontraction of the cylinders 19 causes the clockwise rotation of thering 18 and therefore, owing to the aid of the chamfers 36 and 38, theradial sliding of the locking segments 16 in the respective slots 17 upto their insertion in the annular recess 33 (FIG. 6). The two fittingparts 1 and 2 are therefore coupled again to each other.

In case of damage of the hydraulic control system of the cylinders 19 itis possible to obviate to the disadvantage by connecting the mouths 31and 32 of the same cylinders with manual pumps.

1. Quick-coupling and quick-release connector for piping, comprising twotubular fitting parts (1, 2) fastenable to respective pipes (3, 4) to becoupled and quick-coupling and quick release means (15) for said fittingparts (1, 2), said quick-coupling and quick release means (15)comprising a plurality of locking segments (16) circumferentiallydistributed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said fitting parts(1, 2) and housed in radially movable way in respective radial slots(17) of an axial projecting portion (6) of a first fitting part (2)that, during the coupling stage, is superimposable to a correspondingprojecting axial portion (5) of the second fitting part (1), a revolvingring (18) controllable to rotate around the projecting portion (6) ofthe first fitting part (2) in order to work on said locking segments(16) so as to push them into at least one radial seat (33) of saidprojecting portion (5) of the second fitting part (1) or to house themin their own radial seats (34), respectively for the coupling and theuncoupling of said fitting parts (1, 2) and a hydraulic cylinder (19)reacting between said first fitting part (2) and said revolving ring(18), characterised in that it comprises an additional independent byoperable hydraulic cylinder (19) arranged substantially at 180° from thefirst one in the rotation plane of the revolving ring (18), each one ofsaid hydraulic cylinders (19) being arranged so as to react between afirst lever (22) fastened to said first fitting part (2) and a secondlever (23) fastened to the revolving ring (18), said first lever (22)being made up of a radially more external part (24) and of a radiallymore internal part (25) connected with each other by an articulation(26) which is modifiable in order to be able to assume two differentoperating conditions, one for the complete mutual locking of the twoparts (24, 25) of the first lever (22) and the other one of consent forthe rotation of the radially more external part (24) of the first lever(22) in direction of approach to the second lever (23).
 2. Connectoraccording to claim 1, characterised in that the radially more internalpart (25) of the first lever (22) is provided with a shoulder (39)against which the more external part (24) of the first lever (22) canabut in order to prevent the rotation of said more external part (24) indirection of movement away from said second lever (23).
 3. Connectoraccording to claim 1, characterised in that said modifiable articulation(26) is made up of a hingement pin (27) and of a gudgeon (28) insertablein lined up holes (29, 30) of the two parts (24, 25) of the first lever(22) when in the coupling stage and disinsertable from them when in theuncoupling stage.